A Plant in flower. B Flowering branch of a taller specimen. C Flower cut lengthwise. D Cross-section of ovary. E Fruit. F Seed.
dissepiments and crowned by 4 bristle-like scales.—Species 1. Madagascar. Rousseauxia DC.
Calyx-limb entire or sinuate, provided with 5 accessory teeth. Ovary adhering to the calyx-tube all round.—Species 20. Madagascar. Veprecella Naud.
29. Connective of the stamens appendaged behind only, not or shortly prolonged at the base. 30
Connective of the stamens appendaged in front or also behind, or unappendaged.
Flowers 5-merous. 32
30. Stamens unequal in length. Herbs with a thickened root-stock. Leaves cordate, 9-nerved.—Species 2. Central Africa. Cincinnobotrys Gilg
Stamens equal in length. Flowers 5-merous. 31
31. Calyx almost entire. Ovary crowned by 5 scales. Erect herbs with glandular hairs. Leaves lanceolate. Flowers in umbels.—Species 1.
East Africa. Urotheca Gilg
Calyx 5-toothed. Herbs with a very short stem and cymose flowers, or climbing shrubs.—Species 15. Madagascar. Some are used as ornamental plants. Gravesia Naud.
32. Stamens distinctly unequal; connective of the longer ones lengthened at the base, furnished with 1-2 bosses or spurs in front, spurred or unappendaged behind.—Species 8. West Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. Amphiblemma Naud.
Stamens equal or nearly so; connective not or shortly lengthened at the base, usually provided with a scale in front, rarely also with a boss behind.—Species 9. Central Africa. Calvoa Hook. fil.
[FAMILY 182.] OENOTHERACEAE
Leaves undivided or pinnately cleft. Flowers solitary or in spikes, heads, racemes, or panicles, 2-6-, rarely 4-merous. Sepals valvate in bud. Petals free, rarely (Ludwigia) absent. Stamens as many or twice as many as the sepals. Anthers opening inwards by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior or half-inferior, completely or almost completely 2-6-celled. Ovules inverted. Style simple. Seeds exalbuminous.—Genera 10, species 40. (ONAGRACEAE, including HYDROCARYACEAE.) (Plate 116.)
1. Ovary half-inferior, 2-celled, with one pendulous ovule in each cell. Flowers
4-merous. Fruit top-shaped, woody, indehiscent. Floating herbs, with filiform branched side-roots and broad radical leaves.—Species 2. The seeds are edible and are used for preparing meal and medicaments.
“Water Chestnut.” [Tribe TRAPEAE.] Trapa L.
Ovary inferior, 2-celled with one ascending ovule in each cell, or more frequently 3-6-celled with numerous ovules. 2
2. Flowers 2-merous. Receptacle prolonged above the ovary in the shape of a stalk. Petals white or reddish. Stamens 2. Ovules and seeds
2. Fruit an ovoid nut with a leathery rind, covered with hooked bristles. Herbs. Leaves opposite. Flowers in racemes.—Species 1.
North Africa. [Tribe CIRCAEEAE.] Circaea L.
Flowers 3-6-merous. Stamens 3-12. Ovules and seeds numerous.
Fruit a capsule or a berry. 3
3. Flowers with bracteoles, regular. Receptacle (calyx-tube) not prolonged beyond the ovary. Calyx persistent. Petals yellow or white, rarely absent. Fruit loculicidal and septicidal. Herbs or undershrubs.
Stipules present, but usually minute and caducous. [Tribe JUSSIEUEAE.] 4
Flowers without bracteoles, 4-merous. Receptacle more or less prolonged above the ovary; if obscurely prolonged, then flowers somewhat irregular with red petals. Calyx deciduous. Stamens 8. Fruit loculicidal or indehiscent. 5
4. Stamens 3-6.—Species 5. (Including Isnardia L.) Ludwigia L.
Stamens 8-12. Petals 4-6. Epigynous disc pyramidal or cushion-shaped.—Species
10. Some of them are used medicinally and for dyeing. (Plate 116.) Jussieua L.
5. Stem woody. Leaves stipulate. Flowers regular. Calyx coloured, with
a long tube. Petals red or violet. Stamens unequal. Fruit a berry.—Species
1. Naturalized in some tropical countries. An ornamental plant. [Tribe FUCHSIEAE.] Fuchsia L.
Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only. Leaves exstipulate. Fruit
a capsule. 6
6. Calyx-tube short, bell-shaped. Petals usually red. Stamens unequal in length. Fruit linear with a membranous rind. Seeds with a tuft of hairs. [Tribe EPILOBIEAE.] 7
Calyx-tube long, funnel-shaped or cylindrical. Calyx-lobes reflexed.
Flowers regular. Petals usually yellow. Stamens subequal. Stigma
4-partite. Seeds without a tuft of hairs. [Tribe OENOTHEREAE.] 8
7. Flowers somewhat irregular, large. Calyx-tube scarcely prolonged beyond the ovary. Petals red, spreading. Stamens in one row, bent down, broadened at the base. Style bent down, hairy at the base. Stigma
4-partite.—Species 1. Canary Islands. Yields tea and medicaments, and serves as a vegetable and as an ornamental plant. (Under Epilobium
L.) Chamaenerium Spach
Flowers regular, usually small. Calyx-tube shortly bell-shaped above the ovary. Stamens in two rows, erect. Style erect, glabrous.—Species
15. Some of them are used as ornamental or medicinal plants.
“Willow-herb.” Epilobium L.
8. Calyx-tube funnel-shaped, rather short (as long as or shorter than the lobes).
Petals red or white. Fruit club-shaped, stalked, keeled at the angles, with a more or less woody rind. Seeds with an elongated funicle. Leaves pinnatifid.—Species 2. Naturalized in North and South Africa.
Ornamental plants. (Under Oenothera L.) Xylopleurum Spach
Calyx-tube cylindrical, long. Petals yellow. Fruit obscurely angled, with a more or less membranous or leathery rind. 9
9. Seeds horizontal, sharply angled, with a thick coat. Leaves dentate.—Species
2. Naturalized in North and South Africa. Ornamental plants; one species (O. biennis Scop.) has edible roots. (Under Oenothera L.) Onagra Tourn.
Seeds ascending, rounded, egg-shaped, with an appendage at the top.
Leaves sinuate-dentate or pinnatifid.—Species 2. Naturalized in North and South Africa and some tropical islands. Ornamental plants.
“Evening primrose.” Oenothera Spach
SUBORDER HALORRHAGINEAE
[FAMILY 183.] HALORRHAGACEAE
Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves undivided, lobed, or pinnately divided, without stipules. Flowers solitary or in fascicles spikes or panicles, small, regular, 2-4-merous. Petals free or in the female flowers wanting. Stamens 1-8. Anthers attached by the base, opening laterally by two longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, 1-celled with a single ovule or with 4 ovules, or 4-celled with one-ovuled cells. Ovules pendulous, inverted. Styles or sessile stigmas 2 or 4. Fruit a nut, drupe, or schizocarp. Seeds albuminous; embryo straight.—Genera 3, species 15. (Plate 117.)
1. Ovary 1-celled with a single ovule. Styles or sessile stigmas 2. Sepals 2.
Petals 1-2, or more frequently wanting. Stamens 1-2. Fruit a drupe. Seed with a very short embryo. Terrestrial plants. Leaves radical, kidney-shaped, crenate. Flowers in spikes or panicles.—Species
1. East and South Africa and Madagascar. Used medicinally.
[Subfamily GUNNEROIDEAE.] Gunnera L.
Ovary 1-celled with 4 ovules, or 4-celled. Styles or sessile stigmas 4. Sepals
4, sometimes scarcely perceptible in the female flowers. Petals 4 or in the female flowers absent. Stamens 2-8. Seeds with a long embryo.
[Subfamily HALORRHAGOIDEAE.] 2
2. Ovary 1-celled, sometimes incompletely 4-celled. Stamens 4. Fruit one-seeded, dry and indehiscent. Terrestrial plants. Leaves undivided.
Flowers in axillary clusters.—Species 9. (Serpicula L.) (Plate 117.)
[Tribe HALORRHAGEAE.] Laurembergia Berg
Ovary 4-celled. Fruit 2-4-seeded, usually separating into mericarps.
Aquatic plants. Leaves usually pinnately divided. Flowers solitary and axillary or in terminal spikes.—Species 5. North, South, and
East Africa and Madagascar. [Tribe MYRIOPHYLLEAE.] Myriophyllum L.